6830--Dry Ice for Frozen Specimens

Department of Veterans Affairs

Network Contracting Office (NCO) 16

Request For Information (RFI)

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. THIS SYNOPSIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE, PROPOSAL, OR BID. This notice is not a solicitation as defined by FAR 2.101, therefore it shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor does it restrict the Government to an acquisition approach. All information contained in this Request for Information (RFI) is preliminary as well as subject to amendment and is in no way binding on the Government. Information submitted in response to this notice is voluntary; the Government will not pay for information requested nor will it compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing information provided to the Government. The Government is requesting that restrictive or proprietary markings not be used in response to this notice. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the Federal Contract Opportunities website or GSA. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this RFI

1. Title: _________Dry Ice ______________________________________

2. Purpose: The purpose of this RFI is to identify potential sources which will aid in defining the procurement strategy (e.g., set-aside, sole source, unrestricted) for a solicitation the VA intends on issuing shortly for the following:

Item /Description of Supplies/Equipment

Qty

Weekly Dry Ice Shipment

275 lbs

The anticipated Small Business Administration (SBA) size standard for the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code _325120_______ is _1,200 employees_____ .

3. Responses Requested: The following questions must be answered in response to this RFI.

Answers that are not provided shall be considered non-responsive to the RFI:

a. Where are the requested items/equipment manufactured?

Vendor must attach documentation of this information to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice

b. Are the requested items/equipment manufactured by a Small or Large business? Is the potential vendor in compliance with the Non-Manufacturer Rule (NMR)?

Vendor must attach documentation of this to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice

c. Is the Vendor an authorized distributor with access to Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts which may be required in performance of this requirement?

The VA does not accept grey market items and therefore the Vendor must attach evidence of this access (Authorized Distributor letter) to be viewed by the government to be considered as part of the Market Research and responsiveness to this Sources Sought notice.

d. Name of potential Contractor that possess the capability to fulfill this requirement. Contractors shall also provide the following:

Point(s) of contact name: _______________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________

Telephone number: ___________________________________________

Email address: _______________________________________________

Company's business size: ________________________________________________

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) #: _______________________________

e. Is your company considered a small business concern, SB, SDVOSB, VOSB, HUBZone, or 8A concern, with the requisite __________________ NAICS code?

Please provide proof of qualifications.

f. Is your company available under any Government Wide Agency Contract (GWAC), General

Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ), and/or

Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA)?

If so, please identify the contract number for the Government to review as part of this Market Research.

4. Opportunity/Market Pricing: The MEDVAMC is seeking information from potential vendors on their ability to provide the required items/equipment. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. Small Business Concerns are encouraged to provide responses to this RFI in order to assist the MEDVAMC in determining potential levels of competition and general market pricing available in the industry. Therefore, vendors are requested to submit estimated market research pricing along with their responses to the above. The estimated pricing will be considered when determining the procurement strategy for the forthcoming solicitation.

5. Instructions and Response Guidelines: Questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted no later than 3:00 pm (CST), October 18, 2024 via email to lakeisha.white@va.gov.

RFI responses are due by 3:00 pm (CST), Friday, October 18 2024; size is limited to 8.5 x 11 inches, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins in Microsoft Word format via email to lakeisha.white@va.gov The subject line shall read: MEDVAMC Dry Ice. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME. There is no page limitation on subparagraphs 3(a) - 3(f).

Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the RFI. Information provided will be used solely by MEDVAMC as Market Research and will not be released outside of the MEDVAMC Purchasing and Contract Team.

7. Contact Information:

Lakeisha White

lakeisha.white@va.gov

Your response to this notice is greatly appreciated!